Voting machine



` A. N. G'usTAvsoN VOTING MACHINE Filed oct. 28, 192e YES QUESTION Feb. 1l, 1930.

"Patented Feb. l 1 ,.5 41 I ALVIN u. eusrnvaon, or' nnEs'rowN, Naw

v oBx, Assioma rro Auromirrc 4aacuteriiame mcnnm Acommun, me., A conromrrou orimw vomi` verme namur;

4 Applicaties niet :amber 2s, 1m. 'sei-m 1ro. 144,870.-

This invention relates toan improvement in voting machines, and more particularlyin voting machines of the type in -which v .otes are castby the operation of pointers, and in means for preventing the operation of certain pointers.

A portion of the keyboard of a votin ma` chine 1s customarily reserved to permit-the other. to be depressed to vote No.?

voter to indicate his preference with refer;

ous that only one pairbe actuated, and while it is possibleto lock the other pairs by concealed mechanism, it has been found that voters have failed to indicate their preference because there was nothing on the keyboard i to indicate which pair of pointers should be actuated.

' The primary object of this invention is to avoid this difficulty by providing means which not only prevent the operation of certain pointers, 4but which cover them so that the'voter can readily understand which pair of ointers is to be actuated. v v

ther objects of this invention will appear from a consideration of the followingv description taken in connection with the drawvings which form a part thereof, and in which fFig 1 is a front elevation of a keyboard o pointers; v

Fig. 2 is a front elevation and Fig. 3 is a rear elevation vof a'lockut embbdy' invention`; and

pointers the question occupies the Aspacepointers. It is desirpresent instance, as shown in Fi 'and iat-13.

Obviously whena question extends below a onev to be depressed to vote Yes, and the the pointers is fixed on the keyboard a anged, horlzontal. channel plate14, within which is placed a card, 15, on which answered by the voter is printed. 'In the re 1, the question on the card 15 is of such -ength that it extends below the pointers 11-11, 12-12 plurality of pointers-the particular pair of pointers to'be depressed in voting upon this` question must be clearl indicated, so that the voter can, without di culty or loss of time, register his preference. Thus, in the resent instance, it has been desired to use t ve pair vof pointers l2 to vote on the'question. v

In order to prevent the voter from using the pair. of pointers ll-llor the pair of This lockout is preferably of sheet metal hava voting machine on .which is shown a) vquestion which extends 'below three pairs of Fig. 4 is a sectional view, illustrating the v relationship of this lockout to the pointers on the keyboard.

In the drawings, the keyboard 10 is shown provided with a plurality of pointers 11-11, 12-12, and 13-13, which are used in pairs,

.notch 19. At the ing a front face 17, the lower edge ofwhich is bent to provide a rectangular horizontal channel 18, opening inwardly, oneend of to providev a rectangular backl of the lockout 16 are which 1s' cut away provided a plurality of tongues 20, parallel to and spaced from the front face 17. The pointers 11, 12 and 13 each include an arm 2l,v which is spaced from the face of thekeyboard 10 and a button 22 at the end of said arm. -zlhe lockout 16 is installed by inserting the tongues 20 behind the arms 21 of the selected pointers, and snapping the channel118 over the buttons 22. The notch 19 permits the installation of the lockout 16 without inter-` fering in any way with the actuation of the pointer next to the left. The pointers are thus concealed, and cannot be actuated. Moreover, the lockouts not only conceal the pointers which are not to. be used, but they bringthe pointers 12, which are to be used, into' prominence so that the voter can at a glance see how he is to indicate his preference with reference to the his decision. a

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, each lockout is intended to cover one pair of pointers. It is obvious, however, r that the lockouts could question submitted for Below the question to be 70 pointers 13-13, a' lockout 16 isprovided.

be extended in length indefinitely so that, instead of covering simply one pair they couldA cover any number of pointers. Y

While the lockout 16 is shown and de scribed as applied to question pointers, it is obvious that they could be applied as well to any pointers on the keyboard The showing and description of one vembodiment only is not to be considered as alimitation'thereto, since other embodiments could be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new and for which I desire protection by LettersPatent is:

l. In a voting machine having a keyboard, and a plurality of pointers mounted on said keyboardfor pivotal movement there- Y over, said pointers each including an arm ,zjl'at for iiging. said lockout upon said pointers. Y Y

A 6. A. lockout for pointers of a'voting machine Acomprising a plate having a face'portion, a horizontal inwardly facing channel at the lower edge of said face portion, said channel being adapted to enclose said pointers and prevent lactuation thereof, tongues behind and spaced from the face portion of said plate for ixing said lockout upon said pointers, land a notch in said face portion at one end of said channel, whichvpermits the installation of said plate without interfering with the operation of any pointer other than those on which said plate is fixed.

In testimony. whereof l have aixed my signature.

- ALVIN N. GUSTAVSON.

keyboard for pivotal movement thereover,

said pointers each including an arm spaced from said keyboard, a lockout, comprising a plate having tongues, whichy tongues are adapted to be inserted inthe spaces between the keyboard and the arms of certain predetermined pointers, the plate when in position p bein in front of and covering said pointers.

3. a voting machine having a keyboard,

and a plurality of pointers mounted on said Y keyboard for pivotal movement thereover, said pointers each including an arm spaced from said keyboard and a button projecting outwardly from said arm, a lockout comprising a plate having tongues and a rectangular inwardly opening channel, said tongues being adapted to be inserted in the spaces between said keyboard and the arms of certain predetermined pointers, and said channel receiving and concealing the `buttons of said pointers when in position, thereby preventing the operation thereof.

4.1A lockout for pointers of a voting machine comprising a plate having a face portion, a horizontalinwardly facing channel at the lower edge of said face portion, vsaid,

channel being adapted to v enclose said pointers and prevent actuation-thereof, and means for figng said lockout upon said pointers.

5. A lockout for pointers of a voting .machine comprising'a plate having a face portion, a horizontal inwardlyfacing channel at the lower edge of saidface portion, said channelbeing adapted to enclose ,said pointers and prevent actuation thereof; tongues behind and spaced from the face pbrtion of said i 

